<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>you were my crown, now i'm in exile seein' you out by milfstark</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28678353">you were my crown, now i'm in exile seein' you out</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/milfstark/pseuds/milfstark'>milfstark</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anxiety, Character Death, Depression, Did i spell that right, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Oh, Songfic, Suicidal Ideation, as i'd imagine one has to deal with when their husband dies suddenly, basically steve took pepper's place, but i'll write more soon, but pepper is morgan's biological mother, exile by taylor swift specifically, from both characters, i need trigger warnings, this is a lot of tags for a relatively short fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:08:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>897</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28678353</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/milfstark/pseuds/milfstark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>endgame but steve dies instead of tony wooooo ouch</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>you were my crown, now i'm in exile seein' you out</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>I think I've seen this film before</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And I didn't like the ending</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You're not my homeland anymore</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So what am I defendin' now?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You were my town</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Now I'm in exile seein' you out</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve’s glad he got to see what he’s seen before his death. His </span>
  <em>
    <span>death.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Untimely, maybe? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No. Long overdue - he’s been living longer than any man ever should. Steve lived through the second world war, fought in it, even. (some may argue that he practically won it), and afterwards went on to see, well, everything. He got married. He has a husband, he has a daughter. The problem is, if he doesn’t make this sacrifice, the only other who would, would be his husband. Tony can’t die, not when he has so much more to do with his life. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve thinks of what people will say. </span>
  <em>
    <span> The Ultimate Sacrifice, </span>
  </em>
  <span>maybe. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The One True Act of Nobility. </span>
  </em>
  <span>That’s not how he sees it. Not a service to the ones he loves, not a sacrifice. Not even a repayment. Only an obligation. Steve knows he’s a good man, he wouldn’t be able to do what he’s about to do if he weren’t. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Watching Sam and Bucky and everyone walk back out of those portals was one of the best moments of his life. It’s a wonder that Steve can do this much useless contemplation in the middle of a battle, the “fight of their lives”.  Maybe it’s because he knows he’s about to die. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve watches as Tony, still convinced that he’s going to be the one to snap, glances at Strange. There’s a deep-set determination in his eyes, a more intense expression than anything Steve’s seen muddle his husband’s face before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve shares a look with Carol. She had been watching Tony, she knew what he was planning. Steve mouths “Me.” and tries not to let any fear show through his face, which he hopes looks as calm as he means it to. She nods at him, eyes solemn. Carol sends him a final two fingered salute, too far away to say any last words to him. He reciprocates and turns to his husband. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Carol attacks Thanos, not for the purpose of killing him, she knows she can’t, but for a distraction. Steve runs to Tony and grabs his hands. He’s holding the Iron Man helmet with his right hand. There’s unyielding determination in the shorter man’s eyes as he takes a deep, shaky inhale.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Steve, I love you. Tell Morgan I love her too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve presses a kiss to Tony’s forehead. “And I love you. Tell her yourself.” The shield collides with Tony’s temple, he’s going to have a nasty concussion. But at least he’ll be alive. Steve places him gently on the ground, running his thumb against Tony’s cheekbone wordlessly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He grabs the face guard from the helmet and puts it on. “Jarvis, I need the gauntlet.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t do that, Captain.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Trust me. Please.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jarvis goes silent and the right glove of the suit detaches from Tony’s hand. Steve puts it on his own gives one last look to his husband, and turns to Thanos.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The alien had just placed the last stone into his gauntlet. There’s a scream as the pure power rushes through him, and Steve jumps at him, cracking the shield across his face. The nanotech covers Thanos’s gauntlet and takes the stones, setting them into the gauntlet around Steve’s hand. They lock in, and the power starts to course through his body in the split second that Thanos throws him to the side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… am… inevitable…” He hears Thanos say. A moment later and there’s a little </span>
  <em>
    <span>clink</span>
  </em>
  <span> that should have taken everyone out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve looks up at Thanos, his vision cloudy but clear enough to see his confusion turning to horror.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He grits his teeth, the tiniest smile pulling at the corner of his lips, a tilt of his head to the side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck off.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s a loud </span>
  <em>
    <span>clang</span>
  </em>
  <span> and a flash of white and a searing pain across Steve’s whole right side. It fades quickly enough, all the nerves must be fried. This is going to kill him, just like he thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve’s able to stumble a few steps before he collapses down onto a pile of rubble. Everything’s fading. He sees Bucky.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve’s still alive, and Bucky is actually there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dumbass, why’d you have to do that.” He’s smiling a bit, the pain clear in his eyes. Bucky never cries. Not in front of people, anyway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jerk.” Steve whispers. That was as good a goodbye as any. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky lets out a sob, eyes dry. Natasha pulls him away, and when Bucky sees Tony coming, he turns into her chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Steve!” He didn’t hit him hard enough. “Oh my god, what did you do?” Tony cries.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You weren’t supposed to see this part.” Steve can’t speak any louder than a whisper, they both know he’s running out of time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This wasn’t supposed to- J, what’re his vitals?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Critical condition, sir.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No.” Tony’s shaking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve’s left hand, painstakingly slowly, reaches up to grab Tony’s face. Tony’s crying, turning his face into his husband’s palm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look at me.” Steve rasps. Tony does. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Take care of her. Take… take care of… you.” His breathing is slowing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Steve.” Tony sobs. There’s not even a word for it, for the pain in his eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love you.” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>.. this is a lot shorter than i thought it was. there's quite a bit more in the second chapter, lmk if y'all want it and i'll finish it up and post it :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>